PETAN Calls for Urgent Boost in Crude Oil Output to Save Local Refineries

The Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) has issued a strong call to the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to scale up the country’s crude oil production to at least 2.5 million barrels per day, citing a growing threat to the survival of local refineries and Nigeria’s energy future.

Speaking at the 2025 Nigerian Energy Outlook Conference in Lagos, PETAN Chairman, Engr. Wole Adebayo, warned that Nigeria’s continued underproduction of crude is choking the operations of emerging modular refineries and discouraging investment in the downstream sector.

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“We have the refining capacity, but we lack the supply to power it. The security around oil facilities has improved, but the production level is still lagging behind. Nigeria should be pumping at least 2.5 million barrels per day if we want to compete globally,” Adebayo said.

He emphasized that with Dangote Refinery and several modular refineries now operational, the demand for local crude supply is rising, and any shortfall risks turning the country’s refining gains into economic losses.

Supporting the call, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, assured stakeholders that the government is strengthening surveillance and eliminating bottlenecks in crude production caused by oil theft and pipeline vandalism.

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“What we need now is coordination between policy, production, and security. PETAN’s push for increased production is valid, and we are working with NNPCL to make that happen quickly,” Ribadu said during a panel discussion.

The call comes as Nigeria struggles to meet its OPEC production quota, often citing sabotage, aging infrastructure, and delayed investments in oil fields. Despite these challenges, PETAN insists that boosting production is achievable within a 6 to 12-month window with the right incentives.

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Analysts say the push from PETAN reflects growing industry frustration that Nigeria’s full refining potential may be undermined by lack of feedstock, just as the country stands on the brink of ending decades of fuel import dependency.